Food pantries struggle with increased need

By Erin Stone estone@mrt.com

Published
12:51 pm CST, Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Daniel Horrell, Susanna Karth and Aide Ponce, members of Midland College Student Government Association, box up the estimated 10,000 cans of food collected around the campus for the West Texas Food Bank. Photo by Tim Fischer 12-14-09 less

Daniel Horrell, Susanna Karth and Aide Ponce, members of Midland College Student Government Association, box up the estimated 10,000 cans of food collected around the campus for the West Texas Food Bank. Photo ... more

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Daniel Horrell, Susanna Karth and Aide Ponce, members of Midland College Student Government Association, box up the estimated 10,000 cans of food collected around the campus for the West Texas Food Bank. Photo by Tim Fischer 12-14-09 less

Daniel Horrell, Susanna Karth and Aide Ponce, members of Midland College Student Government Association, box up the estimated 10,000 cans of food collected around the campus for the West Texas Food Bank. Photo ... more

Photo: Midland

Food pantries struggle with increased need

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Midland food pantries and other organizations have seen a large increase in clientele as the holidays quickly approach. There is always an increase during the holiday season, but this year the number of residents is exceptionally high and there are more children than they have seen before, said some agency directors.

The Jubilee Center of Midland has been operating a food pantry and providing emergency food services to the community for the past 11 years. Over the past several years, the center has served an average of 100 to 135 families at their twice-a-month pantry. This year, they saw 240 families at their Thanksgiving food pantry alone.

“You’re always going to be up higher in November and December,” said Director Greg Clark. “Holiday season your numbers always go way up because you have families barely making it anyway and now they have higher utility bills, medical bills etc., on top of holiday expenses.”

Agencies often have a regular clientele and -- depending on the time of year and economy -- some additional families or individuals. However, this year’s numbers are unusually high.

“We have a lot of people kind of mired in poverty that have been there a while, that we see all the time,” Clark said. “But I just got through my November statistics and we served 300 people we’d never seen. This has everything to do with our economy. I know it’s because of the downturn because I see them every day.”

Jubilee sees a range of people in need. Many are seniors, who are living only on Social Security and maybe a set retirement rate, Clark said. But this holiday season, a new trend has emerged: Many of the clients are not individual seniors, but elderly individuals or couples trying to support grandchildren on that fixed income. Food banks are also seeing many more single mothers with young children, Clark said.

“An interesting statistic is that we used to run about 70 percent adults -- which is 18 and up -- and 30 percent 17 and younger,” Clark said. “Now we’re seeing an even 50-50. That’s kind of a strange phenomenon and I don’t know why it is. I’ve done this long enough and I haven’t seen this before. This year is the first time it’s changed over (to that ratio).”

With rents averaging $1,197 a month within 10 miles of Midland and jobs scarce, families and individuals are struggling to keep a roof over their heads as well as food on the table.

“I see people all the time that never had to go to a food pantry and they got laid off a few months ago and now they’re finally at the end of their money and have to come in,” Clark said.

Texas ranks fifth among the top 14 states that exhibited statistics with significantly higher household food insecurity rates than the national average of 14.3 percent between 2012-2014, according to Feeding America, the largest domestic hunger-relief organization in the U.S.

The USDA defines food insecurity as inconsistent access to adequate food or nutrition due to financial struggles and/or a lack of other resources at times throughout the year.

Mississippi had the highest rate at 22 percent and Texas was at 17.2 percent, according to 2012-2014 data. Midland County has a 12.9 percent overall food insecurity rate, according to 2013 Feeding America statistics.

However, the child food insecurity rate is much higher in Midland County, at 21.4 percent in 2013. That’s 8,360 hungry children in Midland County out of a population of 38,097 children under 18.

The holidays only add to that burden. Since Thanksgiving week, 2-1-1 Texas in Odessa has been receiving on average 253 calls a day, up from the usual of 90 a day, said director Peggy Deleon.

“We have so many people asking money for rent, they’re homeless, they’re on the verge of being homeless, they’ve just been laid off,” Deleon said. “With this great increase, we appreciate anything we can get.”

Food pantries are already struggling with the increasing need, but with the West Texas Food Bank closing from Dec. 16-28 as they move to a new location in Odessa, the agencies they serve will need to make sure they’re well-stocked with food before that date, said Development Director Tina Corbett.

“There will be outlets for people in need while we are closed,” Corbett said. “We’re going to make sure our partner agencies are well-stocked.”

The more than 75 West Texas hunger-relief organizations that the West Texas Food Bank serves includes Jubilee Center.

“That week before they close is going to be really busy, I’d imagine, but I don’t think their move will affect us negatively,” Clark said. “If (an agency) is doing emergency food or food pantry, they should order up. We’re like a lot of (local agencies). We’re about at our capacity. It is straining everybody’s budgets. This year is really kinda out of the ballpark.”

However, a donation goes a long way for any agency. With a donation of just $1, Jubilee Center can provide $4 worth of food through their partnership with the West Texas Food Bank. A $1 cash donation can provide more nutritious food than a $1 food product, according to the center’s website.